Murders rise 22% in Atlanta in 2006, FBI says

ATLANTA (AP) - Preliminary FBI statistics released today show the number of murders in Atlanta soared 22% last year compared to the year before.

The statistics also showed that in several other areas of the state the number stayed the same or fell slightly.

The FBI says there were 110 murders in Atlanta in 2006, compared to 90 the year before.

The rise last year followed a nearly 20% drop in murders in Atlanta in 2005 compared to 2004.

In Athens-Clarke County, there were five murders last year, equal to the year before.

The FBI sats there were 22 murders in Columbus in 2006, the same as in 2005. In the Savannah-Chatham metropolitan area, the number of murders dropped slightly to 29 last year, compared to 30 the year before.

Violent crime, overall, was up in Atlanta last year compared to 2005.

Robberies, aggravated assaults, property crimes, burglaries and motor vehicle thefts were up, though the number of forcible rapes, larceny thefts and arsons were down in the city.

Nationwide, the murder rate rose slightly last year but the number of robberies rose by six percent.

The statistics were part of an overall 1.3% rise in violent crime across the country in 2006.

That's the second straight annual increase.

But car thefts, arsons and other property crimes dipped nationally for the second straight year.

Not to be to morbid here, but at this rate the Mexican population should start to show a significant decrease by 2020.
It does make one wonder if there is a segment of the illegal population is being murdered on a large scale due to them being illegals with no recourse.

One area of Gwinnett County has been particularly hard-hit so far this year. Five of the seven homicides reported over the last two months in Gwinnett County were in ZIP codes 30096 and 30071 near Norcross and Duluth, just south of Berkeley Lake Country Club. It's bounded more or less by Beaver Ruin Road, Satellite Boulevard and Steve Reynolds Boulevard, a rectangle roughly 3 miles long and half a mile wide.

One area of Gwinnett County has been particularly hard-hit so far this year. Five of the seven homicides reported over the last two months in Gwinnett County were in ZIP codes 30096 and 30071 near Norcross and Duluth, just south of Berkeley Lake Country Club. It's bounded more or less by Beaver Ruin Road, Satellite Boulevard and Steve Reynolds Boulevard, a rectangle roughly 3 miles long and half a mile wide.

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And that area isnt that bad compared to others. Just goes to show it happens everywhere.